AgDay Daily Recap -March 4, 2013

GOOD MORNING I'M TYNE MORGAN IN FOR CLINTON GRIFFITHS. WITH THE LACK OF ACTION ON CAPITOL HILL, FEDERALLY MANDATED SPENDING REDUCTIONS ARE NOW IN PLACE.

TEXAS RICE:

FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR, RICE FARMERS IN TEXAS ARE AT THE MERCY OF MOTHER NATURE. LOW LAKE LEVELS WILL PROHIBIT ESSENTIAL WATER FROM BEING RELEASED TO FLOOD THEIR FIELDS.

DROUGHT MONITOR:

THE LATEST DROUGHT MONITOR SHOWS AREAS OF TEXAS REMAIN IN EXTREME OR EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT. NEBRASKA LOOKS TO BE SUFFERING THE MOST, WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE STATE IN THE WORST LEVEL OF DROUGHT. EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT ALSO BLEEDS OVER TO COLORADO, KANSAS AND SOUTH DAKOTA. THERE IS A BRIGHT SPOT IN THE LATEST MONITOR, AND THAT'S THE SOUTHEAST. AS WE MENTIONED YESTERDAY, AREAS OF NORTHERN FLORIDA AND SOUTHERN GEORGIA ARE OUT OF EXTREME DROUGHT, OR WORSE, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE AUGUST 2010.

CROP WATCH:

JUST HOW ACCURATE IS THE LATEST DROUGHT MONITOR? AND HOW MUCH MOISTURE DID DROUGHT-STRICKEN NEBRASKA GET DURING THE LAST SNOW STORM. MIKE HOFFMAN HAS THE DETAILS IN THIS MORNING'S CROP WATCH.

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN AG:

WHO'S THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN AGRICULTURE IN THE PAST THREE DECADES?
TOP PRODUCER WANTS TO KNOW FOR A PIECE ABOUT AGRICULTURE'S 'BRAVE THINKERS'.
TO GIVE YOUR INPUT, GO TO AGWEB.COM. THERE YOU'LL FIND A PAGE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, "WHO DO YOU THINK HAS HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE DURING THE LAST 30 YEARS?" THEN THERE'S AN AREA TO EXPLAIN THEIR CONTRIBUTION AND IMPACT ON AGRICULTURE.

ANALYSIS:

THE IDEA OF SHORT-DATED OPTIONS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR AWHILE. BUT NOW IT'S AVAILABLE FOR "NEW CROP" AT COMMODITY CLASSIC, CLINTON TALKED WITH MARK GOLD OF TOP THIRD AG MARKETING ABOUT THIS MARKETING TOOL. LET'S RETURN NOW TO KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA.

I AM ANGUS:

FOR ONE VIRGINIA RANCHER, MOVING 17 TIMES IN 22 YEARS DIDN'T STOP HIM FROM BECOMING ANGUS-PROUD. JERRY GUSTIN SERVED IN THE MILITARY FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES. BUT NOW HE'S SETTLED IN TO A PICTURESQUE CORNER OF VIRGINIA. IN THIS VIDEO PROFILE PROVIDED BY THE AMERICAN ANGUS ASSOCIATION, WE HEAR ABOUT THE PATH THE GUSTIN FAMILY FOLLOWED TO GET BACK TO THEIR FARMING ROOTS.

MUSKRAT:

IN FOOD AND YOUR FAMILY, THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE CONSIDERED PICKY EATERS AND THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WILL EAT JUST ABOUT ANYTHING. I THINK THIS STORY FALLS IN THE LATTER. EACH YEAR IN MONROE, MICHIGAN, A GROUP HOSTS A MUSKRAT DINNER. THE MAIN ENTRE'E IS MUSKRAT, WHICH IN THIS GROUP'S MIND, IS A DELICACY.

BEEF WEBSITE:

IF BEEF IS MORE YOUR STYLE, CARGILL HAS LAUNCHED A NEW WEBSITE TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY OF THEIR PRODUCTS. THE WEBSITE IS CARGILLGROUNDBEEF.COM. THE COMPANY SAYS IT LAUNCHED THE WEBSITE TO PROVIDE CONSUMERS WITH INFORMATION AND DIALOGUE ABOUT ITS GROUND BEEF. BEEF RECIPES ARE AMONG THE FEATURES OF THE NEW SITE. CARGILL SAYS IT WILL ALSO FEATURE FARM-TO-FORK DETAILS ABOUT BEEF PRODUCTION.

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